Production brings new take on Snow White tale

Sunday

Oct 27, 2013 at 11:08 AMOct 27, 2013 at 11:21 AM

There will be seven dwarfs, a wicked queen, a prince and other familiar characters, but Story Theater Company's production of "The Tale of Snow White" won't be anything like the musical Disney version many are familiar with.

There will be seven dwarfs, a wicked queen, a prince and other familiar characters, but Story Theater Company’s production of “The Tale of Snow White” won’t be anything like the musical Disney version many are familiar with.

The play opens on Friday at Ames City Auditorium for two weekends.

Todd Reed, assistant production manager for “Snow White,” said the framing of this production is different. A mother and her son and daughter are telling the story and the siblings arguing over it.

“You are seeing the story through the brother’s eyes, and then you turn and see it through the sister’s eyes,” he said. “It’s all the same story but told with different perspectives.”

The story of Snow White was most notably put on paper by the Brothers Grimm in the early 19th century. The German brothers wrote down what had been passed down orally for years, and Reed said this production of “Snow White” is honoring that oral storytelling tradition.

Reed, who was also in the production staff of “Willy Wonka,” said the 44-member cast and crew have ventured out to make this work their own.

“Each person has brought their own ideas to the play,” he said. “The basis of the story is there and people will easily recognize it, but what I see is even different from what I saw when I first read ‘Snow White.’”

Reed said the characters are different from other versions people may have seen. Included in the mix is a nerdy governmental representative from the Department of Natural Resources trying to keep the forest dwellers from ruining the environment.

“I think this tale of Snow White is new even if you’ve seen the story,” Reed said. “It’s a different story.”

The cast of 37 performers ranges in age from 8 to 16. Reed said there are veterans in the show, but also quite a few new actors.